Old/New Testament
27 Don’t brag about tomorrow.
You don’t know what a day will bring.
2 Let another person praise you, and not your own mouth.
Let an outsider praise you, and not your own lips.
3 Stones are heavy, and sand weighs a lot.
But letting a foolish person make you angry is a heavier load than both of them.
4 Anger is mean, and great anger overpowers you.
But who can face jealousy?
5 Being warned openly is better
than being loved in secret.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted.
But an enemy kisses you many times.
7 When you are full, you even hate honey.
When you are hungry, even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8 Anyone who runs away from home
is like a bird that flies away from its nest.
9 Perfume and incense bring joy to your heart.
And the sweetness of a friend comes from their honest advice.
10 Don’t desert your friend or a friend of your family.
And don’t go to your relative’s house when trouble strikes you.
A neighbor nearby is better than a relative far away.
11 My son, be wise and bring joy to my heart.
Then I can answer anyone who makes fun of me.
12 Wise people see danger and go to a safe place.
But childish people keep on going and suffer for it.
13 Take the coat of one who puts up money for what a stranger owes.
Hold it until you get paid back if it is done for an outsider.
14 Suppose you loudly bless your neighbor early in the morning.
Then you might as well be cursing him.
15 A nagging wife is like the dripping
of a leaky roof in a rainstorm.
16 Stopping her is like trying to stop the wind.
It’s like trying to grab olive oil with your hand.
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.
18 A person who guards a fig tree will eat its fruit.
And a person who protects their master will be honored.
19 When you look into water, you see a likeness of your face.
When you look into your heart, you see what you are really like.
20 Death and the Grave are never satisfied.
People’s eyes are never satisfied either.
21 Fire tests silver, and heat tests gold.
But people are tested by the praise they receive.
22 Suppose you could grind a foolish person in a mill.
Suppose you could grind them as you would grind grain with a tool.
Even then you could not remove their foolishness from them.
23 Be sure you know how your flocks are doing.
Pay careful attention to your herds.
24 Riches don’t last forever.
And a crown is not secure for all time to come.
25 The hay is removed, and new growth appears.
The grass from the hills is gathered in.
26 Then your lambs will provide you with clothes.
And the money from selling your goats will buy you a field.
27 You will have plenty of goats’ milk to feed your family.
It will also feed your female servants.
28 Sinners run away even when no one is chasing them.
But those who do what is right are as bold as lions.
2 A country has many rulers when its people don’t obey.
But an understanding ruler knows how to keep order.
3 A ruler who treats poor people badly
is like a pounding rain that leaves no crops.
4 Those who turn away from instruction praise sinners.
But those who learn from it oppose them.
5 Sinful people don’t understand what is right.
But those who worship the Lord understand it completely.
6 It is better to be poor and live without blame
than to be rich and follow a crooked path.
7 A child who understands what is right learns from instruction.
But a child who likes to eat too much brings shame on his father.
8 Someone might get rich by taking interest or profit from poor people.
But that person only piles up wealth for someone who will be kind to poor people.
9 If you don’t pay attention to my instruction,
even your prayers are hated.
10 Those who lead honest people down an evil path
will fall into their own trap.
But those who are without blame
will receive good things.
11 Rich people may think they are wise.
But a poor person with understanding knows that rich people are fooling themselves.
12 When godly people win, everyone is very happy.
But when sinners take charge, everyone hides.
13 Anyone who hides their sins doesn’t succeed.
But anyone who admits their sins and gives them up finds mercy.
14 Blessed is the one who always trembles in front of God.
But anyone who makes their heart stubborn will get into trouble.
15 An evil person who rules over helpless people
is like a roaring lion or an angry bear.
16 A ruler who is mean to his people takes money from them by force.
But one who hates money gained in the wrong way will rule a long time.
17 Anyone troubled by the guilt of murder
will seek to escape their guilt by death.
No one should keep them from it.
18 Anyone who lives without blame is kept safe.
But anyone whose path is crooked will fall into the pit.
19 Those who work their land will have plenty of food.
But those who chase dreams will be very poor.
20 A faithful person will be richly blessed.
But anyone who wants to get rich will be punished.
21 Favoring one person over another is not good.
But a person will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22 Those who won’t share what they have want to get rich.
They don’t know they are going to be poor.
23 It is better to warn a person than to pretend to praise them.
In the end that person will be more pleased with you.
24 Anyone who steals from their parents and says, “It’s not wrong,”
is just like someone who destroys.
25 People who always want more stir up conflict.
But those who trust in the Lord will succeed.
26 Those who trust in themselves are foolish.
But those who live wisely are kept safe.
27 Those who give to poor people will have all they need.
But those who close their eyes to the poor will receive many curses.
28 When those who are evil take charge, other people hide.
But when those who are evil die, godly people grow stronger.
29 Whoever still won’t obey after being warned many times
will suddenly be destroyed. Nothing can save them.
2 When those who do right grow stronger, the people are glad.
But when those who do wrong become rulers, the people groan.
3 A man who loves wisdom makes his father glad.
But a man who spends time with prostitutes wastes his father’s wealth.
4 By doing what is fair, a king makes a country secure.
But those who only want money tear it down.
5 Those who only pretend to praise their neighbors
are spreading a net to catch them by the feet.
6 Sinful people are trapped by their own sin.
But godly people shout for joy and are glad.
7 Those who do what is right want to treat poor people fairly.
But those who do what is wrong don’t care about the poor.
8 Those who make fun of others stir up a city.
But wise people turn anger away.
9 Suppose a wise person goes to court with a foolish person.
Then the foolish person gets mad and pokes fun, and there is no peace.
10 Murderers hate honest people.
They try to kill those who do what is right.
11 Foolish people let their anger run wild.
But wise people keep themselves under control.
12 If rulers listen to lies,
all their officials become evil.
13 The Lord gives sight to the eyes of poor people and those who treat others badly.
That’s what they both have in common.
14 If a king judges poor people fairly,
his throne will always be secure.
15 If a child is corrected, they become wise.
But a child who is not corrected brings shame to their mother.
16 When those who do wrong grow stronger, so does sin.
But those who do right will see them destroyed.
17 If you correct your children, they will give you peace.
They will bring you the delights you desire.
18 Where there is no message from God, people don’t control themselves.
But blessed is the one who obeys wisdom’s instruction.
19 Servants can’t be corrected only by words.
Even if they understand, they won’t obey.
20 Have you seen someone who speaks without thinking?
There is more hope for foolish people than for that person.
21 A servant who has been spoiled from youth
will have no respect for you later on.
22 An angry person stirs up fights.
And a person with a bad temper commits many sins.
23 Pride brings a person low.
But those whose spirits are low will be honored.
24 To help a thief is to become your own enemy.
When you go to court, you won’t dare to say anything.
25 If you are afraid of people, it will trap you.
But if you trust in the Lord, he will keep you safe.
26 Many people want to meet a ruler.
But only the Lord sees that people are treated fairly.
27 Those who do what is right hate dishonest people.
Those who do what is wrong hate honest people.
Paul Speaks Up for His Service to the Church
10 Christ is humble and free of pride. Because of this, I make my appeal to you. I, Paul, am the one you call “shy” when I am face to face with you. But when I am away from you, you think I am “bold” toward you. 2 I am coming to see you. Please don’t make me be as bold as I expect to be toward some people. They think that I live the way the people of this world live. 3 I do live in the world. But I don’t fight my battles the way the people of the world do. 4 The weapons I fight with are not the weapons the world uses. In fact, it is just the opposite. My weapons have the power of God to destroy the camps of the enemy. 5 I destroy every claim and every reason that keeps people from knowing God. I keep every thought under control in order to make it obey Christ. 6 Until you have obeyed completely, I will be ready to punish you every time you don’t obey.
7 You are judging only by how things look on the surface. Suppose someone is sure they belong to Christ. Then they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. 8 Do I brag too much about the authority the Lord gave me? If I do, it’s because I want to build you up, not tear you down. And I’m not ashamed of that kind of bragging. 9 Don’t think that I’m trying to scare you with my letters. 10 Some say, “His letters sound important. They are powerful. But in person he doesn’t seem like much. And what he says doesn’t amount to anything.” 11 People like that have a lot to learn. What I say in my letters when I’m away from you, I will do in my actions when I’m with you.
12 I don’t dare to compare myself with those who praise themselves. I’m not that kind of person. They measure themselves by themselves. They compare themselves with themselves. When they do that, they are not wise. 13 But I won’t brag more than I should. God himself has given me an opportunity for serving. I will only brag about what I have done with that opportunity. This opportunity for serving also includes you. 14 I am not going too far in my bragging. I would be going too far if I hadn’t come to where you live. But I did get there with the good news about Christ. 15 And I won’t brag about work done by others. If I did, I would be bragging more than I should. As your faith continues to grow, I hope that my work among you will greatly increase. 16 Then I will be able to preach the good news in the areas beyond you. I don’t want to brag about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17 But, “The one who brags should brag about what the Lord has done.” (Jeremiah 9:24) 18 Those who praise themselves are not accepted. Those the Lord praises are accepted.
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.